Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-04-28
lailg gress ANIL 9akotaiaa
FRANK MEAD's STORY.

FRANK MEAD's STORY.
His Account of How He Killed
Frank Farnsworth at st Paul.
The following is from the Minneapolis
Journal report of tho testimony in the
case OF Frank Mead, ex-chief clerk of
the Dakota legislative honse, on trial at
st Paul for the murder of Frank Farms
worth:
There was a perceptibIe stir when
Frank Mead was called. Every eye in
the crowded court room was directed to-
ward the qaiet, gray-haired man, He
arose very calmly and took the stand.
His mild blue eyes looked clearly
through his spectacles. He gave his
evidence calmly and ~collectsdIy in q
common placs manner. He said:
II am 4S years old and am married.
For Inc past 20 years 1 have resided in
Minnesota and Dakota. / came to Min
nesota in 1858. / was engaged in the
newspaper business. / was in the war
three and one-half years. After the war
4 resumed newspaper work in various
places in the state. l moyedto Mandan,
Dakota, III 1876. / moved my family
there in the tall of that year. My family
consists OF my wife aud three children.
| engaged IN the real estate and insuran-
ce business. Since Saving the army 1
have been color blind and for four years
L have had rheamatlsm. For the past
year / have been troubled with insomnia.
Two years ago l had serious financial
difficulties which had q very depressing
influence upon my spirits. Last
July | was not conscious OF having slept
for 10 days. i walked most of the time
nights and days. I went to Excelsior
for a short time. From there ] went to
Pennington and thence to the fair
grounds to attend to newspaper business
for Mr. Judson. / stopped in the build
ing with the secretary for the first three
weeks, after that with q man near the,
fair grounds. During my stay there /
did not have m full nights sleep. i
had four or five hours sleep a night. I
was OF course in q W and excitable
condition. Excitement of any kind at
that time Was painful to me. I do not
recognizes the revolver shown here, but I
had one like it. / bought it in Chicago
four years ago. While at sMandan my
practice was to carry q revolver with me
Wheneverl went down town. When
ever l left Mandan I always gave the
revolver to my wife. I had the revolver
at the fair grounds. My wife left it with
me then. Had several consultations with
Or. Hand about my insomnia. I got
through OF the fair grounds Sept. Z, That
afternoon, after had gone to the depot
with my wife and daughter who went to
Pennington, / returned to the Mer-
chants hotel and took a room. That
was between 4 and 6 O'Clock. In the
evening l went to my room and took q
towel bath. as ] was not we'll. When /
opened my satchei / sRw the revolver
where my wife had placed it and from
force of habit put it in my pocket. After
that / went.down and started to walk
up jackson st in. order to get tired
enough se slssp. Returning i went into
the ] asksen 81 tsud into thhs
bar room. ! stood their laughing and
chatting. 1drank q cocktail and started
to go to bed. / never felt in a better
humor in my life. / did not then know
that Frank Farnsworth was in the CITY.
l had known him nine or ten years. He
Went to Mandan at my suggestion and
engageuIn business. We have always
been good friends, and1 felt as kindly
toward him as Q man could. As I wa
going up stairs / saw two men coming to-
ward me. l did not recognize FarnsWorth
until he was within three or fonr feet
of me. AS oon as / recognized him i
WAS greatly surprised. I put ont nv
hand and drew slightly back, addressing
him playfully, Why you old thief He
stepped aside and said, We'll, I never
stole anything from you, Frank / saw
thatshe had taken ii in interest. i said
in o rather low voice, Il was only Joking.
Frank, I didn't mean it that way, he
turned upon mt and called me q s-of q
b., q g-d-s-of b.. I tried TO uuiet
him when he said:
"You g-d-s-of q b., II you are
here IN TO- minutes I'll vine the
earth up with yon.n
u wa surprised and went up to nv
room, but came back and sat down in
lobby. l sawgtwo men enter the Jack
Ron,st entrance. One OF them stepped
aside and as Soon as he saw me he
started for me. When he was within 10
or IA feet OF me l saw ii was Farnsworth,
and stepped forward. ]; thought
he intended to assault me. He fists
~oto cioncneu anu ne looked angry
Again he called me ad--s-- of o b.
and the only time used that expression
was s. OF a D. in your teeth, sur
That is the only time / ever used tina,
expression. Then he spst in my Y
filling my left eye. Willis l Was wipino
i out he struck me over the left eye,
He was younger aud stronger than my
self end I was afraid that he wonid kiI
me, I thought he might kill me. Ither
drew 9 revolver intending to strike hin
with 1t. He again struck me on Tho
right temple. I was then conscious tina,
1 was sliced by some one; I don't know
BY whom. Then I heard the report O,
the pistol. After that I have no recollec.
tiop .of anything that occurred until ]
was in the police wagon